Bridle



(No Model.).

' B. L. E. GOWEN.

BRIDLE.

No. 389,701. Patented Sept. 18, 1888.

'(I AT7 Pholo-Lhhognphur, Wuhlnginn. 0.:1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN L. E. GOWEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRIDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,701, dated September 18, 1888.

r Application filed June 16, 1888. Serial No. 277.312. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN L. E. GOWEN, of Boston,in the county of Suft'olk,State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bridles, of which the following is adescription sufticiently full,clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertalns to make and use thesame, reference being to had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bridle embodying my improvement in use; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of the crownpiece detached, and Fig. 3 a like view showing the crown-piece without branch billets.

Like letters and figures of-reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The crown-piece of a bridle, as ordinarily constructed consists of a straightleather strap, which passes over the head of the horse behind the ears, and to which the brow-band, cheek-straps, and throatlatch are secured. When formed in this manner the crownpiece constantly pressesagainst the rear portion of the base of the ear, thus tending'to expand it and magnify or exaggerate sound as heard by the horse. It also prevents the car from moving freely,and being constantly pressed against ir,as described, is liable to gall the ear and produce sores, thus causing the horse much pain and sometimes rendering him irritable and balky.

My invention is designed to obviate these objections, and to that end I make use of means which will be readily understood by all conversant'with such matters from the following explanation:

In the drawings, A represents the crownpiece of the bridle, B the throat-latch, G the cheek-strap, and D the brow-band, the throatlatch, cheek-strap, and brow-band being all of the ordinary form and construction.

The crown-piece consists of a strap, preferably composed of leather,and having astraight body or central portiomx, (see Fig. 2,) adapted to rest on the crown of the head between the ears of the horse. At each side of the straight portion 00 is a semicircular or curved portion, z, which passes-around the base of the horses ear, said strap being provided at each end with a billet, o, to which the ordinary throat-latch B is secured, the pull of said latch being nearly in a direct line with the portion 00, thus preventing the crown-piece from being forced against the ears of the horse by the action of the checkrein K,which passes through a loop in the latch B in the usual manner, or from any other cause. On the rear edge of each curved portion a, near its outer end, there is a diagonallyarranged branch billet, b, to which a supplemental throat-latch, H, is secured, the pull of said latch being on the lines 15 from the inner corners, ff",respectively,of 6 the curved portions 2, through the centers of the billets I), thus tending to hold the crownpiece away from the ears of the horse.

In Fig. 3 the crowirpiece is shown as without a branch billet, but its ends are bifurcated or provided with two billets, o, to which both the cheek-strap O and the throat-latch B can be attached without employing a rosette, h, if desired. A buckle, m, is secured centrally to the body as for receiving the straps 75, leading to the blinds K.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- A crown-piece for a bridle huvinga straight body, as x, a curved portion, as 2, connected with each end .of said body and adapted to pass partially around the ear of the horse,and billets o b, connected with the outer end of each of said curved portions, substantially as set forth.

BENJAMIN L. E. GOWVEN.

\Vi tnesscs:

C. A. SHAW, E. M. SPINNEY. 

